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Vid of first gig, impressions?

J

jonas_24112

Jul 11, 2011
416
1
#1
Since I like the folks who hang on the board, please let me post this one here........I threw together a montage video of my new bands first gig, which was a benefit for the local Boys & Girls Club. We have been together for about 2.5 months. Disclaimer: Yes, we definitely need to work on stage presence and no I don't usually have lyric sheets, but I got some last minute songs thrown at me.

Your impressions good or bad are appreciated. Was I off key a lot or am I being over critical? (I'm the bassist) Thanks all!!

Broken Glass Band Find us on facebook!! - YouTube
 
#4
Thanks for posting :) Here are my initial impressions:

-The band sounds tight-I like the sound a lot.
-Lose the music stand. You need to make the transition to fully memorized before you get in front of people with this kind of music. I also recommend keeping your eyes open, too-the closed eyes cut you off from your audience. You bill yourself as a party band, but I'm not sensing any interaction with your audience, or with your bandmates. Add some party to the party :)
-if you're going invite people on stage, have a dedicated mic for them, or encourage them to take it off the stand.
-the consistency of polo shirts make you guys look like a band of golfers (please don't take it personally). I'd call this "dress 2" out of 5. Consider at least "dress 4", Long sleeves on a hip dress shirt rolled up will look better than short sleeve polos. (and maybe lean more to what your drummer has) I appreciate that you are pretty consistent with your look across the band, but if you move a little bit up from the casual dress, it will feel more like a performance for your audience.

You have a lot going for you, and with some tightening up of the image you present, I predict you'll get things moving for yourselves.
 
#5
Hard to tell as the video keeps cutting to diff parts and songs. Seems ok. First thought is drummer and bass player need more practice time with a metronome. After that, more gigs to season the group.
 
#8
There's a lot of inconsistency, a lot of choppy play, very little confidence, music stand on stage, no stage presence... frankly, you guys see like a mixture of bored and uncomfortable, but nowhere do you feel like you're either enjoying yourself or really nailing the tunes and you need to at least project one or the other. Right now (in my opinion) you're just awkwardly dressed guys awkwardly playing popular songs awkwardly. There's nothing terrible happening in that video, but if I happened to walk by that stage while you were playing I would have no compulsion to stop walking. I hope that's not too harsh, but sometimes it can be helpful to get an honest impartial opinion.
 
#9
I found it quite boring, unfortunately. You don't engage with the audience, the guitars just sound like a mush with no variation in tone. Too much widdly-widdly solos.

The way you sing is a bit muffly and unclear - you need to project a bit more, not just make a sound. It's quite a common thing in bands, so you're not alone. Watch any great band and the singers project out into the audience.

Your drummer plays too busy I think. And you(?) on bass and him need to lock in better, to make a solid foundation that grooves.

The guitar players need to make their tones more different not just rely on the thick overdriven tone all the time. Most guitarists have effects units and so on with hundreds of clean and distorted sounds on, yet seem somehow to always sound like they only have 1 sound. Yours seem like that.

You need to dress a bit smarter I think. At the moment you look a bit too casual/scruffy.

Move about a bit more and smile too, you look really really bored!!
 
#11
Your drummer hits his cymbals way too much. On almost every bar, he hits the cymbals on the one - sort of wastes them. Take "allright now" for example. That's a song that has very dry drums originally. Your drummer is crashing all the time. Same on summer of 69. It's really enerving, and he is wasting the effect. Same on Interstate Love Song - crash EVERY bar - c'mon :)
 
#12
Man, hey, it looks like you guys are havin fun, that's all that matters.

I'd say just keep practicing. Some of the tunes were pretty rough (I watched a few of your full videos). Your singer isn't bad though.

I'd say just practice more and be more confident with your playing. Try to play out as much as possible. That looked like a cool gig.

Maybe have a beer or something to loosen up (if that's your thing, if not, no big deal). Look up from your fretboard once in a while too. Engage with the other guys onstage if not the audience.
 
#13
OK, I will agree with the drummer and cymbals comments. BUT, you guys have been together 2.5 months, and I'm assuming you guys all have full time jobs like most of us do, families, etc...so I'm guessing you guys are only able to practice once a week, so 10 practices at the most. You guys seemed to have quite a few songs together for just 10 practices. I wouldn't worry so much about the dress...you guys are a festival/outdoors type of band..ie family oriented band. No one is expecting you to wear Affliction tshirts. Your setlist seems to cater to the crowd you're playing to well. THe main thing is, you guys seem to be off on a good start for as little practice. You're probably still at the stage where the songs aren't totally comfortable to everyone. That naturally causes you to tense up and tend to be stiff on stage. With more practice, those will come together and be rehearsed enough to where you can all let your hair down. As far as the guitars blending, I'm not sure it's that so much as it is the Les Paul guy is playing a Peavey half stack and the other is playing a Crate. I think the LP guy is drowning out the other guy. I noticed it was very hard to hear rhythm work when LP guy soloed. I'm thinking the Crate guy needs an amp that can hang with the Peavey. Keep it up man, and hell, it's just for fun...if you were getting together a record deal or world tour, it might be different, but if it's just for fun, make sure it's fun!
 
#14
What other's have said, but I will try to to say encouraging. Work on tightening up, work on better memorization (I know this is tough as I can be bad at it sometimes). Get it so it is back of hand second nature. Then you can work on making it more of a stage show. Everyone in the band seems to have their feet glued.

Best trick I got, walk around your house with the bass on singing and playing the song (since you do both) while you do other things. Watching tv, etc. Hey that is how Claypool says he got Tommy the Cat down enough to sing and play it on stage.

Ken
 
#15
Playing out is not as easy as it looks! My thoughts, as others have said lose the music stand when you can. Overall the band needs more bass, if you are going to be doing outdoor gigs with sound on a stick your rig has to provide the back bone. Other than that have fun, fine tune as you go.
 
#18
Basicly:

-Drop the music stand (it creates another barrier between you and the audience
-It doesn't look like you are playing FOR the audience, looks like a outdoor rehearsal (improve the stage pressence, and everyone turn a bit more towards the audience, especcialy the guitarist with the orange shirt)
 
#20
General agreement: Sounds like y'all can play together fine. No more flubs I can hear than typical, nothing glaring.

Lose the music stand, and everyone needs to move a little more and engage the audience.

I assume you did the montage video for promotion purposes. You need longer cuts, at least 30 seconds each, so that the viewer can tell what you really sound like. You've got cuts just a couple seconds apart, and it makes me wonder what you're hiding.
 

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